The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1887-03-18
The Public Schools,
The following letter from MIR. Thomas y.
Stone gives full statement of The pFasan' Il!
nancial condition of the public schools

The following letter from Mir. III oma> y.
Stone gives full statement of Ike pres"n' Il
naEcial condition Of The publ" schools
UPPER MARLBORO, MD.
M0rch 10. lSS..
H,n Bourd OF School Commissioners
fDr Prime" Gc0ryt's GDuntH NJ.
GENTLEMEN Since The last meeting
| have paid Off teachers aild tie dab!
left ty the late Board except II go. This
sum is part of a note of $1,000 made by
the late Board, to pay for Tie Laurel
school building. Attached To this note
was Il promise from County Commits
>ioners 10 levy 81 900 for the purchase oi
This property. When the amount was
levied the Bank did not demand thcccr-
titicate so | placed it for dividend lately
received in dividend declared, $ata,
which was sent the Bank and credit for
that amount received on the note. The
only outstanding debt of Board at pres
ent is the bill of Dulany Il Co., COR s55U
Mr.. Jarboe owes the public schools about
this amount, so the schools are flee al
debt with the exception of the 81 7G0.
This state of affairs has been brought
about by using ;he utmost economy and
by leaving undOne much that ought To
have been done had the means been
available. For the past ten y"aIs the
interest account of the schools has been
nearly one half the cost OF supervision.
/ have tried since taking charge OF the
schools last May to get rid OF This .ncu-
bus upon the school Fund. so far |
have been able to keep out Of debt: all
claims against School Commissioners
both of the late Board and those con
tracted under the present administration,
have been promptly met. But the llsi
wi, ~ 1
1hat the receipts from County and State
are barely sufficient to meet current en-
penses. Since last pay day annthcr
school has been added 10 The list.
10 meet all ordinary expenses and 10
keep the schools open for ten months the
county must furnish not less than SD 600
yearly. | would respectfully submit
that the policy of present Board should
be to keep IN repair the houses entrust-
ed to their care and to keep the schools
already established in efficient operation
for ten months. ! would remind your
Honorable Board that in less than one
year you have established two addition
al schools and employed an ass slant
teacher for OXon Hill school. TO pay
off all debts left by the late Board and to
run the schools already established for
ten months, and TO keep in thorough
repair the buildings of the county and
to TrD!acc The old buildings by nc,r ones.
Is an undertaking to do all that can be
expected of your administration, and if
accomplished will not fail to meet the
approval of those who are capable of
judging of public work.
In this connection, [ would suggest,
that you abandon the idea of selling the
Laurel school property and direct the
Trustees at once to accept bids for thor
oughly repairing and painting the build.
ing; the work to be commenced July
close of school year, if the means then
available will justify the outlay, the old
school building near Laurel. known a>
the Snowdcn school house, should he
replaced by new building and a more
suitable site selected. The school build
ing near Laurel between the town and
the Howard county line, should be thor
oughly repaired or replaced by new
building. The old building near Branch
Vile should be sold and new house built
nearer the station. The section of the
county where these improvements are
recommended to he made has not re-
ceived its proportionate part o: the
money devoted to building and ought to
be now considered as entitled to help in
preference TO any other section of the
county.
Since the lst of September have visit
ed every school. white and colord, in
the county; in making my rounds found
only one white school closed, two color
ed schools then closed have siuce sue
ceedsd in employing teachers. The
teachers, with Il very few exceptions
were doing fair work, and believe, try
ing to earn their salaries. So far as cir
cuinstanGes and the weather would per-
nit had every house | visited repaired
and white washed. Where this work
was not done last Fall, will, with your
sanction, be completed this Spring. /
believe that honest and refined teachers
in comfortable and attractive buildings
accomplish far more good than they get
credit for.
There is a strong current of feeling in
this county against public schools, there
are MANY who find fault with teachers
and expect them 10 be better than any
other class of Office holders, My expe-
Iience induces me to believe, that they
do more and better work for the public
than any other set of employees. That
this county gets more benefit for 500
paid to a teacher than it does for the
same sum paid to any other public ser
want.
There is nothing OF special interest to
he considered at this time and no bust
ness before your Body, but the request
to be made to the County Fathers to give
us enough or the needful. to run the
schools Tor another year and the consid-
Grafton of the letters and petitions here
with presented. All of which | hereby
respectfully submit.
THOMAS :. STONE,
Secretary.